2008 Woodie Awards
Patriotic condoms urge students to protect their right to vote
Shayna Carrick & Melissa Ferriola
Issue date: 10/7/04 Section: News
Red, white, and blue condoms are being distributed at Vassar.
These condoms contain political and voting information on the labels and are part of various efforts to get more students involved in politics and voting.
The presidential election is nearing and schools are doing everything they can to encourage students to vote.
The number of college students voting in the presidential elections has dropped dramatically since 1972 according to an article by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. Marist College and other schools in New York are making a conscious effort to provide students with voting registration materials and answer students' questions regarding absentee ballots.
Jim Kent, 58, advisor to the Marist College Student Government Association Senate, said there is a strong inclination for college students to think that the national issues the election revolves around do not apply to them.
"To act like, or pretend, or think that because the election's not about lowering the drinking age to 15 [it] doesn't apply to you is practically suicidal," said Kent.
Issues such as travel, economy, school systems and healthcare are important to the United States and can have a huge impact on college students, especially those graduating or trying to study abroad.
Therefore, teachers and organizations on campus are trying to promote voting among the student body. Kent is one of the many teachers at Marist College incorporating the election into his class. As part of the mid-term he is requiring students to bring in evidence that they registered to vote.
The Student Government Association (SGA) is also attending various events to promote voter registration. Alyssa Oxford, sophomore, SGA election's commissioner, said that it's important for students to vote because it's their right to express themselves, but they need to be informed voters.
"It's important to put the seed in [student's] brains and get them talking about politics and get them thinking about what they believe and what candidate reflects their values," she said.
These condoms contain political and voting information on the labels and are part of various efforts to get more students involved in politics and voting.
The presidential election is nearing and schools are doing everything they can to encourage students to vote.
The number of college students voting in the presidential elections has dropped dramatically since 1972 according to an article by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. Marist College and other schools in New York are making a conscious effort to provide students with voting registration materials and answer students' questions regarding absentee ballots.
Jim Kent, 58, advisor to the Marist College Student Government Association Senate, said there is a strong inclination for college students to think that the national issues the election revolves around do not apply to them.
"To act like, or pretend, or think that because the election's not about lowering the drinking age to 15 [it] doesn't apply to you is practically suicidal," said Kent.
Issues such as travel, economy, school systems and healthcare are important to the United States and can have a huge impact on college students, especially those graduating or trying to study abroad.
Therefore, teachers and organizations on campus are trying to promote voting among the student body. Kent is one of the many teachers at Marist College incorporating the election into his class. As part of the mid-term he is requiring students to bring in evidence that they registered to vote.
The Student Government Association (SGA) is also attending various events to promote voter registration. Alyssa Oxford, sophomore, SGA election's commissioner, said that it's important for students to vote because it's their right to express themselves, but they need to be informed voters.
"It's important to put the seed in [student's] brains and get them talking about politics and get them thinking about what they believe and what candidate reflects their values," she said.